Dolly for washing-machines.



J. D. A. JOHNSON.

DOLLY FOR WASHl-NG MACHINES.

APPLICATION men OCT-15.1915.

l ,%E% @flU Patented May 7,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. D. A. JOHNSON.

DOLLY FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 19x5.

1 9 1: 4E4 QU Patented May 7,1918;-

2 SHEETS-SHUT 2..

JOHN D. A. JOHNSON, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

DOLLY FOR Wr%.I-3QINGMACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Application filed October 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. A. JOHN-son, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Muskegon, Muskegon county, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Dollies for i VashingMachines, of which the following is a specifiration.

My ll'lVGlliLlOl'l relates to washing machines, and particularly to the dolly or agitating element carried by t 1e drive shaft of the machine, and which, in the type of washing machines to which my invention is applicable, constitutes the member by which the clothes are washed. One feature of my invention consists in a new and improved arrangement of the parts of the device whereby it may be readily and conveniently attached to the driven shaft or removed therefrom; and another in the novel formation or construction. of the dolly elements whercby it is particularly adapted to washing shirts or other sleeved garments having cuffs which ordinarily are diflicult to wash clean, but which by means of my invention may be mucl'i more readily cleaned.

In Figure 1 of the drawings is illustrated the tub of a washing machine carrying the main operating elements, includ ing a drive shaft to which my improved dolly is applied; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the central portion of the dolly the central cap plate being removed; Fig. 8 is a central vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 45; Fig. at is a top view of the entire dolly, but on a smaller scale than Fig. 2; l 5 is a central vertical section of a modified construction, parts of the device being shown in elevation; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a top view of the central part of the modified construction immediately below the top plate, that is, on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.

A suitable form of washing machine to which my invention may be applied is shown in Fig. 1, in which a central drive shaft 1, operated by suitable mechanism, is caused to rotate alternately, first in one direction and then in the other. end of the shaft is formed as a squared block 2, the sides of which are equal to the The lower Serial No. 56,111.

diameter of the upper, rounded portion of the shaft. 7

In the preferred form of my invention, illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, the casting 3, constituting the dolly frame, is formed with a .ral depression or cup l to house the re taming member 5, and from the bottom of said cup a square depending tube 6 is formed to receive and loosely embrace the end of the drive shaft. Between the bottom of the cup and a cap plate 7 which is spaced a suitable distance above such bottom and secured to it by rivets is arranged an oscillatable retaining disk 8, formed with a central squared opening of the same size as the opening through the square tube 6. An operating lug 9 projects upwardly from the disk 8 through a peripheral slot or notch in the cap 7, and a compression spring 10, housed in a groove l0 extending around the bottom of the cup, is arranged to press the disk to normal position. of rest with he lug at rest against the end of the slot and its central opening standing at an angle of 4-5 with respect to the opening in the tube 6. In this position of the retaining disk the dolly will be slidably engaged with the drive shaft within the structural limits v-rithin which it is designed to operate, but will not become disengaged therefrom. By manipulatin g the lug 9 to bring the slot in the disk 8 into registration with the opening in the tube 6, however, the dolly can be readily removed.

The casting or frame 3 is formed with four arms, arranged 90 apart, each arm being provided with depending flanges which at two points are curved or flared outwardly on opposite sides to form tapered seats adapted to receive the correspondingly tapered ends of a couple of dolly pins 11, which pins are drawn tightly into their seats by screws 11 or other suitable means. The lower ends of each pair of pins are spaced apart and rigidly tied together by crosspins 12. This construction provides spaces between the pins of each pair within which the soiled sleeves of garments, or soiled articles of any kind, can be drawn so that they will lie uppermost in the tub and be subj ected to the maximum effect of the washing operation.

In the modified form of dolly shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the frame member 13 is formed of sheet metal, stamped with downwardly Patented Mayfzf, 191%. I

extending flanges to form an approximately circular cupped central portion 1 1-, and four radial channel portions 15 arranged to receive the slotted wooden dolly pins or blocks 16. The retaining disk 17 is housed in a recess within the circular base 18 of the square tube 19, the base 18 being cut away to receive the downwardly projecting operating lug 20 of the retaining disk and being riveted or otherwise secured within the central portion 1a ofthe frame plate.

The'retaining disk 1'? is formed with a central square opening and spring pressed to normal retaining position in substantially the same manner as in the case of the construction first described.

.VVhile the lower block portion is in the present instance square it is obvious that it would be possible to make it of triangular or other polygonal cross-section, and it is also obvious that the number of frame arms, and proportions and ar-angement of dolly pins or bars are susceptible of considerable variation withoutdeparting from the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and I therefore do not intend to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement described.

I claim:

1. The combination, with the drive shaft of a washing machine, the lower end of such shaft being formed as a square block, of a dolly having a central square tube arranged to engage said block, a manually operable rotatable retaining disk formed with a corresponding square opening and a spring yieldingly pressing said disk to a position in which its opening is offset angularly with respect to the tube opening.

2. The combination, with the drive shaft of a washing machine, the upper end of such shaft being circular and the lower end formed as a square block, of a dolly having a central square tube arranged to engage said block, a retaining disk formed with a corresponding square opening, and a spring yieldingly pressing said disk to a position in which its opening is offset angularly with respect to the tube opening.

3. The combination, with the drive shaft of a Washing machine, the lower end of such shaft being formed as a square block, of a dolly including a frame member formed with a central cylindrical recess, a retaining disk seated in said recess and formed with asquare opening, a cap member secured to said frame member and inclosing said disk, a depending square tube rigidly secured to said frame member, and a spring yieldingly pressing said disk to a position in which its opening is offset angnlarly with respect to the tube opening.

4-. The combination, with the drive shaft of a washing machine, the lower end of such shaft being formed as a square block, of a dolly including a frame member formed with a central cylindrical recess, a retaining disk seated in said recess and formed with a square opening, a cap member secured to said frame member and inclosing said disk, said cap member being formed with an arcuate slot and said retaining disk being equipped with an operating lug projecting through said slot, a depending square tube rigidly secured to said frame member, and a spring yieldingly pressing said disk to a po sition in which its opening is offset angularly with respect to the tube opening.

A dolly for washing machines comprising a metal frame having a central portion formed to engage the drive shaft of a washing machine and radial arms formed with opposite downwardly extending flanges or skirts having opposed arcnate bends forming incompletely circular seats, and washing members in the form of pins secured in said seats.

6. A dolly for washing machines comprising a metal frame having a central portion formed to engage the drive shaft of a washing machine and radial arms formed with opposite downwardly extending flanges or skirts having opposed arcuate flared bends forming incompletely coni al seats, tapered. wooden pins in said seats, and means for drawing said pins longitudinally to tightly fit said seats.

7. A dolly for washing machines comprising a metal f'ame having a central portion formed to engage the drive shaft of a washing machine and radial arms equipped with pairs of downwardly extending washing pins, the pins of each pair being tied together by a cross pin adjacent their bottom ends, whereby a slot is formed for the reception of portions of garments to be washed.

8. A dolly for washing machines comprising a metal frame having a central portion formed to engage the drive shaft of a washing machine and radial arms formed with depending flanges, a pair of washing pins in each arm seated within said flanges, the pins of each pair being tied together by a cross pin adjacent their bottom ends, whereby a slot is formed for the reception of portions of garments to be washed.

JOHN D. A. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses LOUIS B. Enwm,

ionnnrr DOBBERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

